A Maryland man is charged with attempting to help Islamic State after swearing allegiance to jihad and the terrorist group and agreeing to carry out an attack on U.S. soil. The Department of Justice says the man told ISIS operatives he was excited about its progress in Iraq and Syria, and “every time he saw the news, he smiled.”
Authorities arrested Maryland man Mohamed Elshinawy, 30, Friday and have now charged him with attempting to provide material support to ISIS, obstruction of agency proceedings, and making false statements and falsifying or concealing material facts.
Elshinawy was connected to an ISIS member through a childhood friend. The ISIS member based out of Egypt recruited Elshinawy to use ISIS funds to carry out an attack. Elshinawy received $8,700 in multiple overseas payments.
“According to the allegations in the complaint, Mohamed Elshinawy received money he believed was provided by ISIL in order to conduct an attack on U.S. soil,” Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin says in a statement. “When confronted by the FBI, he lied in order to conceal his support for ISIL and the steps he took to provide material support to the deadly foreign terrorist organization. He will now be held accountable for these crimes.”
At first, Elshinawy says his mom sent him the money and then changed his story to say he was scamming the terrorists with no intention to carry out the attack. But the FBI later found that wasn’t the case. He could get up to 31 years in prison.
“This case demonstrates how terrorists exploit modern technology to inculcate sympathizers and build hidden networks, but federal agents and prosecutors are working tirelessly and using every available lawful tool to disrupt their evil schemes,” U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein says in a statement.
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